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Athena Strand found dead after being kidnapped by FedEx driver: Wise County sheriff
The sheriff says a tip led them to a FedEx driver, who is believed to have abducted Athena from her home Wednesday night. The driver confessed to kidnapping her. Athena likely died an hour after her disappearance, the sheriff said.
WISE COUNTY, Texas - Law enforcement in Wise County found the body of Athena Strand, a 7-year-old who went missing on Friday night after she disappeared on Wednesday.
31-year-old Tanner Lynn Horner is facing aggravated kidnapping and capital murder charges in connection to her death.
Tanner Horner (Source: Wise County Jail)
Horner, an independent contractor who was working for a company contracted to delivery packages for FedEx, was at Strand's house to deliver a package on Wednesday night, according to the Wise County Sheriff.
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Horner is currently in the Wise County Jail being held on $1.5 million bond.
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FULL PRESS CONFERENCE: Athena Strand found dead after being kidnapped by FexEX driver: Wise County sheriff
Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin confirmed that 7-year-old Athena Strand’s body was found Friday afternoon six miles from her home in Boyd, Texas.
Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin said that Horner confessed to killing the girl, but would not go into details.
Akin did not give a possible motive for the killing, but he did say he did not believe that Horner knew Athena or the Strand family.
Horner does not appear to have any previous criminal history.
FedEx released a statement about the incident saying:
The Wise County Sheriff's Office originally said Horner lived in Lake Worth. Lake Worth police chief JT Manoushagian tweeted that is not the case.
Records show that Horner lives in Fort Worth.
READ MORE: AMBER Alert issued for 7-year-old Wise County girl
A social media account confirmed to belong to Horner by the FOX 4 shows he is a musician who previously attended Azle High School.
On Monday, Sheriff Akin told FOX 4 that the Wise County Sheriff's Office, Texas Rangers and FBI are following up on a few evidentiary items and performing more interviews.
Akin says he believes arrest affidavits in the case will be sealed.
The affidavits could give public a better idea of the motive and manner of Strand's death, and more information about how investigators connected Horner to the case.